TA Training

Topics for the Day TA/faculty relationship Essential policies The first day of class Syllabi  

Part 1: TA/faculty relationship

TA/faculty relationship Partnership in effective teaching with the instructor It’s the instructor’s course; follow their syllabus and policies Present a united front (different channels, same message) Take initiative in communicating with the instructor Attend the lecture if possible The Graduate School’s TA Handbook specifies faculty responsibilities to teaching assistants

Scenario 1 → What do you tell the student? In discussion section one day, a student asks you to show her how to answer a particular question. You work through the question with the student, and the student says that she agrees with your answer. The student then pulls out an exam that had been graded by the course instructor. The student came up with the same answer you showed her, but only received a grade of 7 points out of 10. You look over the student’s answer, and it seems mostly correct to you. A detail was omitted that the student considered obvious. But there was nothing tricky or difficult about the omitted detail, so you probably would have given that answer 9 points out of 10. The student tells you she has already talked with the professor and explained her reasoning, but the professor refused to change the grade. → What do you tell the student?

Scenario 2 → How do you respond to the students? While you are leading your session, several students start to complain that they do not understand the instructor’s explanations during lecture. One of the students asks you if you could devote your sessions to explaining the material again, so that they can understand it all better. → How do you respond to the students?

Part 2: Essential policies

Essential policies The USC system Professionalism Accommodations USC resources

Scenario 3 A student approaches you at the end of class and says that he has a learning disability, so he will need to be allowed extra time to complete a course assignment. → How should you proceed, and what would you say to the student?

Scenario 4 A student comes to your office hours to talk about how they are doing in class and ends up disclosing that they are having trouble in class because they are having a personal crisis and have been depressed recently. → What are the recommended action steps for supporting this student, and what would you say to the student?

Scenario 5 Dear ___ (TA), My name is Sam, and I’m a sophomore on a scholarship that requires me to maintain at least a 3.0 GPA. But right now I have a “C” in your class, and I stand a chance of not continuing next semester. Is there a chance at all for me to schedule an appointment with you today to see if there is any possible way that my grade can be reconsidered? Is there any extra credit I can do to improve my grade and save my scholarship? I don’t know what else to do. If I don’t maintain a 3.0 for my scholarship, I will have to drop out of SC! My parents can’t afford the tuition, and I already have a part-time job. Thank you for your consideration. And may God bless you for any help you can give me! Sincerely, Sam Someone → How will you respond to Sam?

Essential policies The USC system Professionalism Accommodations USC resources FERPA

Scenario 6 A student’s mother calls you on the phone, explaining that you are their son’s TA and they wish to discuss a poor grade that their son received from you recently. → What do you say to the parent?

Scenario 7 One of your fellow TAs decides that the most efficient way to hand back graded papers is to leave them at the end of class on a table in the back of the room and allow students to find and pick up their own paper. This way, time is not lost during class in handing back the papers individually. The TA recommends that you follow this same strategy. → How do you respond to your fellow TA?

Part 3: The first day of class

The first day of class First impressions Planning Attitude Respectful authority Classroom norms

Scenario 8 In your first semester as a TA you are assigned to a course related to your field but not one in which you consider yourself a specialist. Your discussion section has generally been going well, but the behavior of a particular student begins to be a problem. She seems unhappy with you as a TA and starts to challenge your authority right in the classroom. On one occasion, she openly rejects your explanation of a particular phenomenon and tells you in front of the class that your explanation is “simply wrong”! And she even presents an alternative explanation to the class. Because you do not know enough about the subject area, you are not sure whether her explanation is correct. During the past few weeks, she has become more and more combative in her attitude, and you worry it is making other students lose their confidence in you. → How do you address this behavior?

Scenario 9 During a classroom discussion, one student uses a term that many people find offensive. Although it does not appear that the student intended to offend anyone, you see many shocked faces and a few gasps from other students in the room. → How can you address this issue without shaming the student who spoke or minimizing the offense taken by other students?

Part 4: Syllabi

Syllabi Syllabus as a contract Local policies Course policies Respectful authority Classroom norms

TA Training Course

cet.usc.edu